2025 sees increased international focus on Chinese Medicine

The year 2025 stands as a defining milestone for the research of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), marking its formal arrival and recognition on the global scientific stage. This status is affirmed by the latest "2025 Research Fronts" report, published by the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Clarivate, which identifies the "Application of Network Pharmacology in TCM Modernization" as a key, fast-growing research area in the Biological Sciences.

Network pharmacology, which maps the complex interactions between biological systems and drug compounds, aligns perfectly with the holistic philosophy of TCM as it offers a robust framework to demystify how multi-component herbal formulas function, moving the discipline firmly into the era of evidence-based and precision medicine.

This validation strongly complements the findings of "The Traditional Chinese Medicine Research Landscape"  the first global TCM research analytics report published by HKBU and Elsevier. Now also available in a Chinese version, the report reveals that global TCM publication output has tripled over the past decade—a testament to the field's explosive growth and impact

This dual recognition, stemming from the "2025 Research Fronts" report and our joint study with Elsevier, underscores two critical developments in the future of medicine. It signals that TCM is increasingly being scrutinised through rigorous, data-driven, and systems-level science. Furthermore, the global research landscape is unequivocally beginning to acknowledge TCM as a substantive scientific domain, distinguished by its growing research activities, expanding international collaborations, and enhanced methodological sophistication.

To find out more about the bilingual report,  click here: Cover - TCM report